Samoa have cancelled their three-match rugby league tour of Britain and Ireland just nine days before their scheduled opening game because of lack of funding.
The Rugby Football League, the sport's governing body in the UK, announced the cancellation on Saturday morning.
The Samoans, who recently appointed former Super League side St Helens boss Daniel Anderson as their coach, were due to play Cumbria in Whitehaven on Sunday week before meeting the newly-formed England Knights and Ireland before the end of the month.
The RFL says the Samoan government's decision to withdraw funding has led to this move, adding the Samoans were very keen to come to Europe and a lot of hard work and detailed planning had been taking place behind the scenes.
The RFL says it's working with the Rugby League International Federation to determine why Samoa changed their minds and we will take what practical steps we can to minimise any damage this decision may cause.
